Fitness on the Fly

Exercise takes time. That's a given. People are short on time. That's a given too.

But it's still possible to work aerobic activity into your day -- either by carving time along the way, sneaking exercise into your normal daily routine, or boosting incentive to make your program a priority. Here are some ways to do it:

Broaden your definition. Who says "exercise" has to mean "workout"? Fitness experts use the term "lifestyle exercise" to describe everyday activities that pay aerobic dividends. Examples include walking while shopping, doing yard work, and dancing.

Wear a pedometer. Strapping a device that counts your footfalls and clocks them in miles can be eye-opening - either because you walk a lot more than you thought or a lot less. Whatever the case, you'll have incentive either to build on your accomplishments or make up for lack of effort. In one recent study at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, people with osteoarthritis who received instructions on using a pedometer increased their daily walking significantly more than peers who received only arthritis self-management education.

Don't be automatic. If you jump in the car for every neighborhood errand or visit to your friend down the street, pretend you've scrapped your wheels and use foot or pedal power for short-distance travel.

Use downtime. Staring at the download bar on your computer screen doesn't burn any energy. But marching in place while you wait does. Anytime you're cooling your heels - waiting to meet a companion at the mall, for example - look for opportunities to take a short stroll, do toe raises, or perform some other physical movement.

Cut the chatter. Social interaction can be an important way to keep exercise fun and interesting. But if the hobnobbing gets in the way of actually exercising or eats up time you need to spend on other things (which ultimately cuts workout time), break it off by, say, telling the other person you've got another commitment or suggesting you meet for a walk or bicycle ride in the park.